2014 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team; Started First Three Games; Produced Three Games with Double-Figure Points in 2013-14, including season-high 11 on 4-for-4 shooting with four asssists in Husker win over Creighton (Dec. 14, 2013).

Nebraska made its 12th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its sixth in the last eight seasons in 2014. The 2014 Huskers also became the first Nebraska team in history to advance to the NCAA second round in consecutive seasons, after opening the 2014 tournament with a 74-55 win over Fresno State.

Over the past six years, the Huskers have produced six NCAA Tournament wins under Coach Connie Yori, after the program notched just two NCAA wins in the first 25 years of the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska’s No. 4 seed was its second-highest in school history, trailing only the No. 1 seed the Huskers earned on their way to their first NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010. NU earned its second NCAA Sweet 16 spot as a No. 6 seed last season following wins over No. 11 seed Chattanooga and third-seeded Texas A&M in College Station in 2013.

The Huskers notched their first NCAA Tournament win under Coach Yori with a 61-58 victory over Xavier at College Park, Md., in 2008.

Hooper Gives Huskers Fourth Top 25 WNBA Pick in Last Five Years

All-American Jordan Hooper became the third Husker in the last five years taken in the top 13 picks of the WNBA Draft, when she was chosen by the Tulsa Shock with first pick of the second round of the 2014 WNBA Draft on April 14. She was the fourth Husker selected among the top 25 picks in the draft in the same span.

Hooper, a 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., waited anxiously through the first round of the draft while watching with friends at a home in Lincoln. Once the draft moved from its live television home on ESPN2 to ESPNU, Hooper didn’t have to wait long, as her name was called almost immediately.

"I am so excited about being picked in the draft and getting a chance to pursue the next stage of my basketball career," Hooper said. "Honestly, I don’t know a lot about Tulsa other than they have some great young guards with Skylar Diggins and now Odyssey Sims. I love that Tulsa is in the Midwest and is about the closest of any WNBA team to Nebraska, so fans from my hometown of Alliance and fans across the state of Nebraska, especially here in Lincoln, might get some chances to watch me play in person."

Hooper, a 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., becomes the latest in a string of WNBA draft picks for Coach Connie Yori and the Big Red. Since 2007, five Huskers have been chosen in the three rounds of the WNBA Draft. Hooper is the first Husker to ever be picked in the second round.

Tulsa finished the 2013 season with an 11-23 record, while featuring WNBA All-Rookie point guard Skylar Diggins. The Shock took another first-team All-America point guard with the No. 2 overall pick of this year’s draft when they chose Baylor’s Odyssey Sims.

Hooper not only has experience going against Sims when the two were freshmen in the Big 12 Conference, but they also started alongside each other on the USA Basketball World University Games Team that won gold in Russia in the summer of 2013.

In addition to newcomers Hooper and Sims, the Shock will feature first-year head coach Fred Williams, who spent the past six seasons with the Atlanta Dream, including the last two as their head coach. He helped the Dream to WNBA Finals appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

A first-team All-American by the WBCA, Hooper was the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year. The three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection also earned her second career spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after leading Nebraska to its first-ever conference tournament title. The school-record holder with 295 career three-pointers, Hooper is the only Husker and just the second Big Ten player in history to achieve the combined milestones of 2,300 points and 1,100 rebounds.

In 2013, point guard Lindsey Moore was taken by the Minnesota Lynx with the final pick of the first round (12th overall). Moore went on to win a WNBA title with the Lynx in her first season in the league.

Kelsey Griffin is the highest Husker draft pick in history, as she was chosen with the No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Lynx in 2010. Griffin, a 6-2 forward, was traded by the Lynx to Connecticut on draft day and has spent the past four seasons with the Sun. Griffin was a WNBA All-Rookie selection in 2010 and enjoyed her most productive season in the league as a full-time starter for the Sun in 2013.

Hooper expects to report to training camp on April 27, before earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Nebraska on Saturday, May 10. The Shock will play a pair of preseason games against the San Antonio Silver Stars before opening the regular season at San Antonio on Saturday, May 17.

Juniors Set Stage for Program First in 2014-15

Nebraska’s four-player junior class of Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery will form the heart of the Husker lineup in 2014-15, after helping the Big Red to the most successful three-year stretch in school history.

Cady and Sample have started all 100 games over the past three years, helping the Huskers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 25 wins per season. NU’s .750 winning percentage over the past three years represents the most successful stretch in school history.

In 2014-15, returning starters Cady, Sample and Laudermill and three-year contributor Jeffery will try to become the first class in school history to compete in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.

Final Top 25 National Rankings Becoming Standard at Nebraska

Nebraska continued to climb in national status in nearly every facet of the women’s basketball program in 2013-14. The Huskers’ No. 13 final national ranking by the Associated Press was the second-best ranking in school history and the fourth appearance in the final AP poll in the last five years.

The Huskers added a No. 17 final ranking in the USA Today Coaches Top 25, which also marked its second-best final ranking in school history.

Nebraska’s No. 19 ranking in the final official NCAA RPI marked its third-best finish in school history - all coming in the past five years.

Before Nebraska Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska for the 2002-03 season, the Huskers had never finished a season ranked in the top 25.

Huskers Rank Among National Attendance Leaders

In 18 home games, the Huskers attracted 110,892 fans including 10 of the top-16 largest home non-conference crowds in school history in 2013-14.

Nebraska’s total home attendance of 110,892 ranked No. 8 nationally, while NU’s average home attendance of 6,161 ranked 11th.

NU drew 5,000 or more fans for 14 of its first 18 home games, including four consecutive crowds of more than 7,000 to close its first regular season at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Big Red drew seven crowds of 5,000 or more in 10 home non-conference games, after drawing just five home non-conference crowds of 5,000 or more in 37 seasons at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska attracted almost 15,000 fans to Pinnacle Bank Arena in its season-opening weekend, including a non-conference school-record crowd of 9,750 for a season-opening win over UCLA on Nov. 8. The Huskers added a crowd of 4,924 for a Veterans Day win over Alabama on Nov. 11.

The 14,674 fans over two games nearly matched the 15,221 fans who attended Nebraska’s eight home non-conference games in Coach Connie Yori’s first season in 2002-03.

Nebraska’s average home attendance of 5,658 marked the best single-season non-conference average in school history, crushing the 4,049 fans per game the Huskers averaged during home non-conference action in 2012-13. With just one more home non-conference game than a year ago, the Big Red attracted 20,139 more fans than last season (36,436), which was also a school non-conference record.

Growing interest in Nebraska women’s basketball is not new. In fact, 13 of the 21 largest non-conference home crowds in school history have come over the last 21 non-conference home games for the Big Red.

Huskers Host First NCAA Tournament Games Since 1993

Although the Huskers did not advance to the NCAA Sweet 16, the University of Nebraska, the city of Lincoln and Pinnacle Bank Arena played host to the NCAA Lincoln Regional, March 29 and 31.

The regional, which featured 2014 national champion Connecticut, Texas A&M, DePaul and BYU, marked the first NCAA Tournament games in either men’s or women’s basketball in Lincoln since 1993.

On March 29, the Lincoln Regional’s opening day crowd of 9,585 was the largest in the NCAA Tournament to that point in the tournament and the second-largest women’s basketball crowd in the history of the building, trailing only the 9,750 fans the Huskers attracted for their opening game in the arena against UCLA on Nov. 8, 2013. The regional added 7,169 fans for UConn’s Elite Eight win over Texas A&M on March 31, bringing the two-session attendance to 16,919.

The Lincoln Regional crushed home-standing Stanford’s two-session attendance (12,845) at Maples Pavilion, while just missing Notre Dame’s 17,548 in a pair of sellouts at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind. Louisville led the four regional sites with 25,099 while playing two games in front of its home fans at the KFC Yum! Center. The tournament was an overwhelming success, leaving a lasting impression not only at the box office, but in the minds of some of the nation’s most prominent coaches.

Geno Auriemma, UConn: "Everybody’s heard about it. Everybody’s heard about the crowds here,the facilities here. Everything that’s going on here. Every day’s been great. The people are phenomenal. The building is spectacular. It’s as nice a campus arena as any place I’ve been. This is really, really, really nice. The fans showed a lot. They came out and they proved they’re women’s basketball fans. There’s no doubt in my mind there will be another regional here, no question. Very, very few places have that. Most places are fans of their team, not necessarily fans of the game. Here I think they take tremendous pride in their team, their school and the community and they showed it."

Gary Blair, Texas A&M: "This is basketball country. Congratulations to Nebraska. Congratulations to this arena. This arena can hold national championships. It is well done. Nebraska went overboard. I cannot ever remember a neutral site before that would draw this many fans, but Nebraska did."

Huskers Celebrate Season at Team Banquet

Nebraska officially celebrated the conclusion of another one of its most successful seasons in school history at its annual team banquet at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday, April 17.

More than 300 invited guests attended the awards banquet, which was held on the arena floor for the first time.

All-Americans Jordan Hooper and Rachel Theriot were honored as Nebraska’s Co-Offensive MVP award winners, while Hailie Sample was named NU’s Defensive MVP. Sample and Emily Cady shared the Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award for the second consecutive season, while Cady was also honored with the Husker Award.

Nebraska senior Jordan Hooper became the third Husker in history to earn first-team WBCA All-America honors, when the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced the awards on April 5 at the 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Nashville.

Hooper was part of a 10-player first team that included seven seniors and three sophomores. UConn seniors Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley joined sophomore Breanna Stewart in giving the Huskies three first-team honorees, while Notre Dame senior Kayla McBride and sophomore Jewell Loyd gave the Irish a pair of first-team selections. Stanford senior Chiney Ogwumike, Baylor senior Odyssey Sims and Maryland senior Alyssa Thomas joined South Carolina sophomore Tiffany Mitchell in rounding out the elite team.

Hooper became the third Husker in history to earn a spot on the WBCA first team and the second in the past five seasons, joining 2010 first-team All-America forward Kelsey Griffin. Karen Jennings, the 1993 Wade Trophy winner, was Nebraska’s first first-team WBCA All-American in 1993.

The WBCA honor was the most recent All-America award collected by Hooper. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., who was a finalist for both the Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award in 2014, was named one of five first-team All-Americans by the Senior CLASS Award on April 4. She was a second-team All-American by the Associated Press on April 1. The AP chose a five-player first team and a five player second team.

Hooper, who was a two-time honorable-mention All-America selection by both the WBCA and the AP in 2012 and 2013, was a three-time WBCA All-Region 6 pick.

A three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year, Hooper was a semifinalist in the Buick Women’s 3-Point Championship on April 3 at the NCAA Men’s Final Four festivities in Dallas, before traveling to Nashville for the announcement of the WBCA All-America team on Saturday.

Hooper, who was a two-time Big Ten All-Tournament selection and helped the Huskers to their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title in 2014, finished her Husker career as the school record holder with 295 three-pointers which tied for third in Big Ten history. She also tied the NU record with 40 career double-doubles while ranking second in school history in both points (2,357) and rebounds (1,110). Hooper is the only Husker and one of only two Big Ten players in history to achieve those combined career milestones.

Husker Hot Shots - Nebraska’s Starting Five

#35, Jordan Hooper, 6-2, Sr., F, Alliance, Neb. (20.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg)

• Jordan Hooper was the the first pick of the second round of the WNBA Draft by the Tulsa Shock (13th overall selection) on Monday, April 14. She is the fourth Husker to be taken among the top 25 picks in the draft in the past five seasons.

• Hooper became the just third Husker in history to earn first-team WBCA All-America honors, joining Kelsey Griffin (2010) and Karen Jennings (1993). Hooper added second-team All-America accolades from the Associated Press.

• Hooper earned Nebraska’s first Big Ten Player-of-the-Year award from the conference coaches. She is just the fourth Husker in history to claim a conference player-of-the-year honor joining Kelsey Griffin (Big 12, 2010), Karen Jennings (Big Eight, 1993) and Maurtice Ivy (Big Eight, 1988). NU’s first three conference players of the year are the only Huskers in history to have their jerseys retired.

• Hooper was a first-team Senior CLASS Award All-American (1 of 5) and one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. Hooper dominated the fan voting for the award with nearly 35 percent of the overall vote, but UConn’s Stefanie Dolson won the award.

• Hooper was one of 12 finalists for the Wade Trophy and one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award.

• Hooper claimed a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team for the second time (2012, 2014) by averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in leading the Huskers to their first-ever conference tournament title in 2014. Hooper notched double-doubles in two tournament games, including 33 points and 12 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Minnesota and 18 points and 10 boards in the championship game victory over No. 23 Iowa on March 9.

• Hooper finished with 40 career double-doubles tying Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) for the school record. Hooper (14) and teammate Emily Cady (14) became the first Huskers to produce double-digit double-doubles in the same season.

• Hooper finished her Nebraska career with 2,357 points and 1,110 rebounds to become the first Husker and just the second Big Ten player (Jantel Lavender) in history to achieve the combined milestones of 2,300 points and 1,100 rebounds.

• Hooper is one of only three Huskers in history with 2,000 points and 1,000 boards (Jennings, Griffin) and one of only five Big Ten players in history with 2,000 points and 1,000 boards. She is one of only nine active NCAA Division I players to achieve those combined marks.

• Hooper pushed her Nebraska career three-point record to 295, which tied for third all-time among Big Ten players. She matched Illinois senior Amber Moore (295). Penn State’s Maggie Lucas (365) broke former Penn State star Kelly Mazzante’s previous Big Ten record of 357 in 2014.

• Hooper set the Nebraska career NCAA Tournament record with 102 points in six NCAA Tournament games. She surpassed Kelsey Griffin’s previous school record of 101 points in 6 games (2007-10).

• Hooper set the Nebraska career NCAA Tournament record with 55 career rebounds in six NCAA Tournament games. She surpassed Kelsey Griffin’s 52 boards in 6 games (2007-10).

• Hooper set the Nebraska career NCAA Tournament record with 13 career three-pointers, surpassing Yvonne Turner’s previous mark of 11 threes in six games (2007-10).

• Hooper finished second on the Nebraska career rebound chart with 1,110, trailing only Janet Smith’s 1,280 rebounds (1979-82).

• Hooper finished No. 6 in Big Ten history with 2,357 points and No. 9 on the Big Ten career rebounding chart with 1,110.

• With a career-best 672 points in 2013-14, Hooper finished with the fifth-highest single-season scoring total by a Husker in history.

• Hooper finished No. 2 at Nebraska in career games started (131) and career minutes played (4,030) trailing only Lindsey Moore’s school records of 132 starts and 4,360 minutes played (2010-13).

• Hooper’s 74 career blocks ranked 11th in NU history.

• Hooper scored 200 points in 10 career conference tournament games (9 Big Ten, 1 Big 12) to set a Nebraska record. Hooper averaged 20.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in her career in conference tournament games. Hooper’s 82 career rebounds in conference tournament games are also a Husker career record, along with her 68 field goals made, 20 three-pointers made and 56 threes attempted, 44 free throws made and 55 free throws attempted. She played in more conference tournament games than any other Husker in history.

• Hooper’s 33 points against Minnesota were the second-most ever scored by a Husker in a conference tournament game, trailing only Maurtice Ivy’s 35 against Kansas in the 1987 Big Eight Tournament. Hooper’s 14 field goals made against the Gophers were a Nebraska conference tournament record.

• Hooper scored in double figures in 116 of her 131 career games, including 51 20-point performances. She produced 10 career 30-point efforts, including 33 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota on March 7. Hooper had 33 points and 14 boards against Utah State (Dec. 8), 31 points and six threes against Indiana (Feb. 16) and 30 points and 11 rebounds against ORU (Dec. 29) in 2013-14.She grabbed double-digit rebounds 46 times, including 16 as a senior.

• One of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She joined Hailie Sample in sharing Nebraska’s Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award for the second straight season, while Cady also claimed the team’s Husker Award.

• Cady tied Jordan Hooper for second in the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles, while ranking third in the league with 9.2 rebounds per game. She ranked 24th overall in scoring (12.7 ppg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5-to-1), seventh in free throw percentage (.858), eighth in field goal percentage (.495) and 12th in assists (3.1 apg). In Big Ten games-only, Cady ranked third with her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio trailing only Husker point guard Rachel Theriot (2.7) and Iowa point guard Samantha Logic (2.2). Cady also ranked eighth in conference play in assists (4.1 apg). She had eight double-doubles in 16 conference games.

• Cady enters her senior season with 1,054 points, 787 rebounds, 219 assists and 109 steals. She is just the third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.

• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 85 career blocks. She needs three more to catch Casey Leonhardt (88, 2000-01) in ninth on the Husker career chart. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.

• No player in Husker history has 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.

• Cady enters her senior season in 2014-15 tied for fifth with Janet Smith (1979-82) with 22 career double-doubles. Cady notched 14 double-doubles as a junior and needs 18 double-doubles as a senior to match the Husker record of 40 held by Jordan Hooper (2011-14) and Kelsey Griffin (2006-10).

• Cady owns 50 career rebounds in six NCAA Tournament games to rank third in Nebraska history trailing only first-team All-Americans Jordan Hooper (54, 2011-14) and Kelsey Griffin (52, 2006-10).

• Cady’s 1,054 career points rank No. 25 in Husker history. She is just 47 points away from joining NU’s top 20, and 230 points away from the No. 15 spot on the Husker career list (Janet Smith, 1,284).

• Cady enters her senior season ranked seventh all-time at Nebraska with 787 rebounds. She has averaged nearly 263 rebounds per season in her first three years on the court and needs just 213 boards to become the fifth Husker in history with 1,000 rebounds, joining Smith (1,280), Hooper (1,110) and Griffin (1,019) and Karen Jennings (1,000).

• The best passing forward in the Big Ten, Cady’s 102 assists led all conference forwards. Her 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio also led all players in the conference at the position. In Big Ten play, her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was better than every starting guard except first-team All-Big Ten point guards Rachel Theriot (Nebraska) and Samantha Logic (Iowa).

• One of the best young point guards in the nation, Rachel Theriot earned honorable-mention All-America honors from the Associated Press as a sophomore. She joined Jordan Hooper (2nd Team) on the AP All-America squad, marking the second straight season the Huskers had produced a pair of All-Americans (Hooper, Lindsey Moore, HM, 2013).

• Theriot earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after ranking second among the Huskers with 15.6 points per game in conference play. She also averaged a team-best 7.3 assists in Big Ten action, which ranked second in the league. Overall, Theriot finished her sophomore season with 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

• Theriot finished with a Nebraska single-season record 234 assists in 2013-14, smashing the previous mark of 195 set by Meggan Yedsena (1991-92) and matched by Lindsey Moore (2012-13). Theriot’s 335 career assists rank ninth in Husker history, and she enters her junior season needing 109 assists to join Nebraska’s career top five.

• Theriot produced four points-assists double-doubles in 2013-14, including 10 points and 12 assists in the Big Red’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Fresno State on Saturday. Her 12 assists were the most by a Husker in history in an NCAA Tournament game. It also marked the fifth time in 2013-14 that she dished out 11 or more assists in a game. No other Husker has distributed 11 or more assists more than four times in a career.

• Theriot led Nebraska to its first-ever conference tournament title by winning Big Ten Tournament MVP honors with 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists per game. She hit 56.4 percent of her shots from the field, including 5-of-10 threes and knocked down 7-of-8 free throws. She posted a 4.3-to-1 assist to turnover ratio (30-to-7).

• Theriot’s 30 assists in the Big Ten Tournament were a Nebraska single-season conference tournament record. She produced arguably the best passing game in Big Ten history in Nebraska’s Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota March 7, dishing out a tournament-record-shattering 18 assists against just one turnover. The previous tournament record was 12 set by Helen Darling of Penn State against Illinois in 2000. The most assists by a Big Ten player against a Big Ten opponent came with 16 from Maggie Acuna of Illinois against Wisconsin in 2006.

• Theriot’s 18 assists were the second-most in a game in Nebraska history, trailing only 19 assists by Kathy Hawkins on Feb. 17, 1976 against Kearney State (now Nebraska-Kearney). Theriot’s assists are the most ever by a Husker against an NCAA Division I opponent, and the most in the last 37 seasons, covering nearly 1,200 games.

• Theriot’s 18 assists were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 2013-14.

• In two games against Minnesota in 2013-14, Theriot produced 47 points (23.5 ppg), 27 assists (13.5 apg) and just one turnover in 84 minutes.

• In Nebraska’s final 11 games of 2013-14, Theriot averaged 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. She produced four 20-point efforts and three double-digit assist marks during the stretch. She also had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.5-to-1 (90-26).

• In NU’s final 15 games of 2013-14, Theriot scored in double figures 13 times while producing double-digit assists on six occasions. She produced all four of her double-doubles in the final 15 games of her sophomore season.

• Over the final 15 games of 2013-14, Theriot produced six double-digit assist games. In the first 1,203 games in Nebraska history, every other Husker had combined to produce just 41 double-digit assist games.

• Theriot shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent (25-50) from three-point range in Big Ten play as a sophomore. Her three-point shooting percentage led the Big Ten.

• Theriot finished with 25 double-figure scoring efforts in 2013-14, pushing her career total to 30. She had a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Minnesota (Jan. 16). She added 28 points at Utah (Nov. 15), when she also had seven rebounds. She posted all six 20-point scoring games of her career as a sophomore.

• Theriot led the Huskers with 39 steals in 2013-14, including five in the NCAA second round against BYU, which ranked as the second-best total by a Husker in an NCAA Tournament game in history.

• In Big Ten play, Theriot led the league with 39.5 minutes per game and her 1,204 minutes were the most played by a Husker in a season in school history, surpassing Lindsey Moore’s 1,170 in 34 games in 2012-13. Theriot went the distance 13 times in 33 games in 2013-14, including the full 45 minutes in both of NU’s overtime wins over Minnesota (Jan. 16) and Wisconsin (Feb. 5).

• Tear’a Laudermill emerged as a rising star for the Huskers to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. She finished the season with career-best averages of 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while her 62 three-pointers ranked as the 10th-best season total in NU history.

• Over the last 17 games of 2013-14, Laudermill scored in double figures 13 times after managing double digits 11 times in her first 77 games, including just four times in her first two seasons at NU. She produced 20 double-digit games in 2013-14 to push her career total to 24.

• Laudermill averaged 15.2 points per game over the last 17 contests of 2013-14, including the first five 20-point games of her career. She closed the season with 22 points against BYU, including 12 points in the final 2:30. She added 20 points in NU’s Big Ten semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State and a career-high 27 points in the Big Red’s home win over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.

• Laudermill tied a school record with seven threes in Nebraska’s 94-74 win over No. 8 Penn State Feb. 24. She hit her first six threes in the first half and closed the night 7-of-10 to lead Nebraska to one of the best three-point shooting nights (16-22, .727) in school history.

• Laudermill averaged 13.5 points in Big Ten play, while shooting a sizzling 44.3 percent from three-point range, which ranked fourth in Big Ten games-only. Her 2.4 three-pointers per game also tied for fifth in league action. She also led the Big Red with 21 steals in conference action.

• In the Big Ten Tournament, Laudermill averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals to help the Huskers to their first conference tournament title.

• With 391 points in 33 games in 2013-14, Laudermill surpassed her previous career total (306 in 61 games) entering her junior season.

• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 2 active career three-point shooter with 99 makes, which ranks 10th on the Husker career list. Her 62 threes in 2013-14 ranked third by a junior in school history trailing only Jordan Hooper (2012-13) and Kiera Hardy (2005-06), who share the junior single-season record with 81.

• Hailie Sample earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team with her outstanding ability as a lockdown defender both inside and out. She was also Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2013-14 and joined Emily Cady in earning the Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award for the second straight season.

• Sample enters her senior season having started 100 consecutive games alongside Cady.

• Sample produced her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA second-round game against BYU on March 24. It was her second career double-double in the NCAA Tournament and her second double-double in a three-game span, joining 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament Championship Game win over No. 23 Iowa on March 9.

• Sample averaged 7.5 points and a team-leading 10.0 rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament. Her 30 total rebounds and 16 offensive boards led the tournament.

• Sample averaged a whopping 5.3 offensive boards per contest in the Big Ten Tournament. Sample, Hooper and Cady all grabbed six offensive rebounds in the championship game win over No. 23 Iowa to post a season-high plus-31 rebound margin (58-27) against the Hawkeyes.

• Sample’s 15 rebounds in the Big Ten Championship Game were a Nebraska Big Ten Tournament record and tied Nafeesah Brown (vs. Kansas, 1993, Big Eight) for the second-highest rebounding total ever by a Husker in a conference tournament game. Only Shelly Block (16 vs. Oklahoma State, 1987, Big Eight) pulled down more boards in a league tournament game than Sample.

• In the NCAA Tournament, Sample averaged 8.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to push her season averages to 6.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She ranked 15th overall in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.4 rpg), while ranking seventh in the Big Ten on the offensive glass (2.5 rpg).

• Sample produced double figures in points nine times in 2013-14, and enters her senior season with 15 career double-digit scoring games. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.

• Sample enters her senior season ranked No. 26 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 495.

• Sample set single-season career bests in points (206), rebounds (212), assists (73), blocks (17) and steals (21) as a junior in 2013-14.

Huskers Produce Second-Best Win Total for Third Straight Season

Nebraska notched the second-highest win total in school history for the third consecutive year, finishing at 26-7 (.788) to produce the second-best overall winning percentage in school history.

The Huskers have averaged 25 wins over the past three years, including 24 victories in 2012 and 25 wins in 2013.

Before NU’s 24 wins in 2011-12, only one Husker team had produced more than 23 wins in a season - Nebraska’s 2009-10 Big 12 championship team that finished 32-2 (.941 winning percentage), including the school’s first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Last season, the 2012-13 Huskers took another step forward by notching 25 wins, including a pair of NCAA Tournament victories to reach the school’s second NCAA Sweet 16.

The 2013-14 Huskers kept NU moving forward after winning the school’s first-ever conference tournament title with three victories at the Big Ten Tournament, March 7-9.

Nebraska’s seven losses in 2013-14 were also tied for the second-fewest in school history, trailing only the two losses by the 2009-10 squad. The 1988 Big Eight champion Huskers finished 22-7. The only other NU team to lose seven or fewer games was Nebraska’s first-ever varsity team in 1974-75, which went 9-7 against primarily lower division (NCAA Division II, III, NAIA) opponents.

Nebraska, which has produced six 20-win seasons in the past eight years, had managed only five 20-win seasons in the previous 26 years before Coach Connie Yori led the Huskers to 22 wins in 2006-07. NU owns 15 20-win seasons and three 25-win campaigns in 39 seasons of women’s basketball as a varsity sport.

Nebraska owns four 20-win seasons in the last five years, which has included the four top victory totals in school history, including an NU-record 32 wins in 2009-10. Prior to Yori’s arrival in 2002-03, NU’s record for single-season wins was 23 (1978-79, 1979-80, 1992-93, 1997-98).

Huskers, Hooper Dominate Big Ten Postseason Honors

Jordan Hooper became the first Nebraska women’s basketball player to claim Big Ten Player-of-the-Year honors,when the conference announced its annual awards on Monday, March 3.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., captured first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season, while becoming just the fourth Husker in history to earn a conference player-of-the-year award. She joins 2010 first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin (Big 12), 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings (Big Eight) and 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year Maurtice Ivy on that distinguished list of Huskers.

Griffin, Jennings and Ivy are the only three Huskers in history to have their jerseys retired by the school. Hooper joins the same group as the only three-time first-team all-conference selections in school history, along with three-time first-team All-Big 12 pick Kiera Hardy (2005, 2006, 2007).

"Wow, what an amazing honor," Hooper said. "It is obviously a tremendous honor to be the Big Ten Player of the Year, especially since it was voted on by the conference coaches. It’s more exciting though that our whole starting five and Coach Yori were honored. That is unbelievable. I think that says a lot about the amount of work we put in to get better throughout the season, and it also says a lot about the ability of our coaches to make us a better team."

Hooper, who averaged 20.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game as a senior, led the Big Red to a 26-7 record and a 12-4 Big Ten mark. She set the school career three-point record (295), while climbing to No. 2 at Nebraska in career points (2,357) and rebounds (1,110). She is one of only two players in Big Ten history (Jantel Lavender, Ohio State) to reach the combined milestones of 2,300 points and 1,100 rebounds.

Hooper headlined a Husker starting five that all earned all-conference honors. She was joined on the coaches All-Big Ten first team by sophomore guard Rachel Theriot.

The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, ranked second among the Huskers with 14.1 points per game on the season, including 15.6 points per game in conference action. Theriot was one of the top passers in the Big Ten and Husker history. She set the school record with 234 assists notched the top assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1) in the Big Ten, while shooting 50 percent from the field and three-point range during Big Ten play. She also shot nearly 90 percent from the free throw line on the year.

In addition to Nebraska’s starting five claiming All-Big Ten honors, Connie Yori was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by her peers for the second straight season. It was the fourth conference coach-of-the-year award for Yori, who was the 2010 Big 12 Coach of the Year and the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year at Creighton. Yori was also the national coach of the year in 2010.

"I am thrilled for our players," Yori said. "They put in a ton of work to get better all year long. It is really gratifying to see that hard work recognized and rewarded by the other coaches in the conference."

Hooper and Theriot both added first-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media, while Cady and Laudermill both claimed second-team accolades. The media does not name an All-Defensive Team.

Yori Captures Back-to-Back Big Ten Coaching Honors

Nebraska’s Connie Yori was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting by conference coaches for the second straight season in 2014. Yori captured her third conference coach-of-the-year award in the last five seasons and her second in the Big Ten. Yori led the 2013-14 Huskers to their second straight unbeaten February, while finishing 12-4 in the Big Ten for the second consecutive year. The Huskers then ran to the Big Ten Tournament title for the first conference tournament title in school history. Nebraska went 1-1 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament to finish with a 26-7 overall mark.

The 2014 Huskers opened Big Ten play with a 3-3 mark that included a two-point loss to Purdue and a four-point road loss at Northwestern, before rallying for nine straight wins. The Huskers played their final regular-season game for a share of the Big Ten title for the second straight year, after competing for the Big Ten Tournament title in Indianpolis in 2012.

Yori captured Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2010 on her way to WBCA, AP, USBWA, Naismith and Kay Yow National Coach-of-the-Year awards. She led the Huskers to the 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 after capturing the Big 12 regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. The 2009-10 Huskers, which featured first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin and first-team All-Big 12 picks Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, finished with a 32-2 overall record.

Before becoming Nebraska’s head coach in 2002-03, Yori claimed Missouri Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in her final season at Creighton in 2002. In Yori’s first 12 seasons as NU’s coach, her Huskers have earned a total of 37 all-conference awards (12 first team, 4 second team, 11 honorable mention, 5 freshmen, 5 defensive). Jordan Hooper earned Nebraska’s first Big Ten Player-of-the-Year award in 2014, becoming Yori’s second conference player of the year in the last five seasons at Nebraska. Kelsey Griffin claimed Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors in 2010.

Huskers Claim Second Straight 12-Win Big Ten Campaign

Nebraska (12-4) posted its second consecutive 12-win Big Ten campaign and its third straight 10-win Big Ten season in its third year in the conference. Nebraska went 12-4 in 2013, after producing a 10-6 conference mark in its first Big Ten season in 2012.

The Huskers joined Michigan State (13-3), Penn State (13-3) and Purdue (11-5) across the 10-win mark for the third straight year. Nebraska and Penn State are the only two Big Ten teams to post back-to-back 12-win seasons over the past two years.

The Spartans own the longest active streak of double-digit Big Ten wins, dating back 12 seasons to a six-win campaign in 2001-02. Penn State has produced four consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins.

Purdue owns four straight seasons with double-figure league wins.

Huskers Complete Another Perfect February in Big Ten

Nebraska closed February with a perfect 8-0 record, stretching its February winning streak to 16 games. NU’s last February loss came at Michigan State on Feb. 23, 2012. Nebraska is 18-4 overall, including 9-2 at home and 9-2 on the road in February as a member of the Big Ten.

The Huskers were 7-0 in February of 2013 as part of a 10-game overall winning streak last season. In 2013-14, the Big Red went 8-0 in February as part of a nine-game winning streak (Jan. 29-Feb. 27). NU also closed February of 2012 with a 71-57 win over No. 8 Ohio State.

Huskers Enjoying Success in First Three Big Ten Seasons

Nebraska has produced three strong seasons to open its women’s basketball participation in the Big Ten Conference. In regular-season Big Ten play, the Huskers have notched a 34-14 record (.708 winning percentage). Nebraska has played for at least a share of the conference title on four occasions (2 regular season, 2 tournament) capturing its first Big Ten title at the 2014 conference tournament in Indianapolis. The Huskers, who went double-overtime in the championship game of their first Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis in 2012, also played for a share of the regular-season title on the last day of each of the last two years.

The Big Red have found success at home, on the road and at neutral sites against Big Ten foes. The Huskers are 17-7 at home in Big Ten play, including 7-1 in their first year at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska is also 17-7 on the road in conference regular-season play. In the Big Ten Tournament, the Huskers own a 7-2 record, including a 6-1 mark at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. NU went 1-1 at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., in 2013.

Huskers Tie School Record with 16th Home Victory

Nebraska tied a program record by notching its 16th home win in its first season in the new Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14. The Huskers, who went 16-2 on their new home court, matched the 16 home wins (16-0) put up by the 2009-10 Huskers and the 1997-98 Big Red squad (16-0). All three of NU’s 16-win teams at home won a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament.

• Nebraska’s No. 13 final national ranking in the Associated Press Poll was the second-highest final ranking in school history, trailing only NU’s No. 4 AP finish in 2010. The AP produces its final ranking at the end of the regular season and does not do another poll during or after the NCAA Tournament.

• Nebraska was ranked No. 19 in the final regular-season NCAA RPI heading into the NCAA Tournament.

• Nebraska recognized 2013 All-American Lindsey Moore during the Oral Roberts game (Dec. 29) for her part in helping the Minnesota Lynx to the 2013 WNBA title. The first-round pick in the WNBA Draft returned to Lincoln from her professional team in Italy to receive a minute-long standing ovation.

• Nebraska retired 2010 All-American Kelsey Griffin’s jersey at the Michigan game (Jan. 29). The 2010 Senior CLASS Award winner and Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year had her number raised at Pinnacle Bank Arena, but not permanently retired. Current Husker Emily Cady shares Griffin’s No. 23. Griffin, a four-year WNBA veteran, made a return trip to Lincoln from her club team in Australia.

• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice in the last five seasons (2010, 2013).

• Coach Connie Yori is the winningest coach in Husker history (241 victories) and has won conference coach-of-the-year honors in the Big Ten (2013, 2014), Big 12 (2012) and Missouri Valley (2002). She was the national coach-of-the-year in 2010.

Double Trouble: Hooper, Cady Making History Together

Jordan Hooper and Emily Cady tied for second in the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles in 2013-14, becoming the first Husker teammates to produce double-digit double-doubles in the same season.

Hooper and Cady both rank among the top five players in Nebraska history in career double-doubles. Hooper tied Kelsey Griffin for the school record with 40 in her career, while Cady enters her senior season tied for fifth at NU with 22 double-doubles in her career.

Cady and Hooper (14, 2011-12; 2013-14) are two of just six Huskers in history with 10 or more double-doubles in a season, including Griffin (10, 2006-07; 20, 2009-10), Jennings (13, 1990-91; 13, 1991-92), Nafeesah Brown (16, 1993-94), Maurtice Ivy (10, 1985-86) and Carol Garey (10, 1978-79). Nebraska players have produced 10 double-digit double-double seasons. In 2014-15, Cady will try to join Hooper, Griffin and Jennings as the only players in Husker history with two double-digit double-double campaigns.

Nebraska Celebrates Season One at New Arena

Nebraska celebrates its first season in Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14. The arena, located in the historic Haymarket in downtown Lincoln just steps away from the Nebraska campus, will serve as the new home for Husker men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The $179 million project was completed in the summer of 2013 after being approved by voters in May of 2010. A ribbon cutting ceremony that included Governor Dave Heineman, Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst and Husker coaches Connie Yori and Tim Miles, tipped off the opening of the new arena in late August.

The 470,400-square foot arena project has sparked a revitalization of the Haymarket District, including the addition of several new hotels and upscale housing options. It also has added the Railyard, an outdoor entertainment area adjacent to the arena. The Railyard includes "The Cube" a massive outdoor screen that will serve as a hub for other entertainment options.

In "Season One" at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Husker women’s basketball program has experienced more than a 50 percent increase in season ticket sales, surpassing the 3,200 mark. The number shattered NU’s previous season ticket record.

The women’s program was also selected as one of four NCAA Regional hosts for the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers played host to the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds at Pinnacle Bank Arena, March 29-31. Nebraska has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in two of the past four seasons, but Lincoln had not played host to an NCAA Tournament game in men’s or women’s basketball since 1993.

On the men’s side, the Huskers sold out the season, producing a school-record average of more than 15,000 per game in their first year at the arena.

Husker Front Line Made 100 Consecutive Starts Together

Nebraska’s starting forwards Jordan Hooper (131), Emily Cady (100) and Hailie Sample (100) joined each other in the Huskers’ starting five for 100 consecutive games.

The inside trio was joined in the Husker starting lineup for each of the last 61 games by Rachel Theriot, while Tear’a Laudermill joined the other four in NU’s starting five for the final 30 games of 2013-14.

Consistent starting lineups are nothing new for the Huskers under Coach Connie Yori. In 2011-12, fifth-year senior guard Kaitlyn Burke joined Moore, Hooper, Cady and Sample in NU’s starting lineup for every game. Three times in Yori’s first 12 seasons at Nebraska, the Huskers have used the same starting five for every game in a season, including all 33 games in 2011-12. The 2006-07 Huskers featured the same starting five for 32 games on their way to a 22-10 season and the NCAA Tournament. Yori’s 2003-04 Huskers also used the same starting five for 30 games on their way to an 18-12 season and a WNIT bid.

A full year with the same starting five is rare in women’s college basketball. In fact, Nebraska was the only Big Ten team to feature the same starting five throughout 2011-12, and was one of only three teams in the 2012 NCAA Tournament to start the same five every game. Kansas State and BYU were the others.

Over the past nine seasons, Nebraska has used only 22 different starting lineups in 292 games.

Free Throws Pay Off Big For Big Red

Nebraska outscored its 2013-14 opponents by an average of 15.4-8.2 (+7.2 ppg) at the free throw line. The Huskers made 507 free throws, compared to just 270 by their opponents. The Huskers shot a school-record 79.8 percent at the line as a team, which led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation.

Last season, Nebraska produced the second-best team free throw percentage in school history (.755).

For the season, Nebraska outscored the opposition by a total of 403 points, with 237 of those coming at the free throw line. Rachel Theriot finished fourth in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.885, 69-78), which tied for the third-best free throw shooting season in Nebraska history. Emily Cady (.858, 133-155) ranked seventh in the Big Ten and sixth in Husker single season history. Cady’s 133 makes at the line also ranked ninth on Nebraska’s single-season chart.

Tear’a Laudermill also caught fire at the line as a junior, connecting on 59-of-69 (.855) of her free throws. Laudermill did not meet the minimum requirements to qualify for the Big Ten rankings, but her percentage ranked eighth in school history. Laudermill, who was 53-of-84 (.631) from the line in her first two seasons at NU, hit 13 consecutive free throws to end the 2013-14 season, including all nine of her attempts in the NCAA Tournament.

Huskers More Than Fair in Foul Department

Nebraska’s dominance at the free throw line starts with the Huskers winning the fight in the foul department. NU led the Big Ten and ranked second nationally by committing just 13.6 fouls per game.

While the Huskers barely put their opponents in the bonus each game, they consistently forced double-bonus free throw situations by the opposition. Nebraska’s opponents averaged 18.9 fouls per game against the Big Red.

Nebraska’s plus-5.3 differential in fouls per game and its 79.8 percent free throw shooting allowed the Big Red to outscore its opponents by 237 points at the line in 2013-14 (7.2 ppg).

Nebraska continued a non-fouling trend from from 2012-13. The Huskers were whistled for just 12.8 fouls per game in 2012-13, including 11 fouls per game in Big Ten regular-season games.

Big Red Played Big on Boards

Nebraska produced a plus-5.5 rebounding margin in 2013-14, outrebounding opponents by an average of 40.2-34.8. The Huskers’ rebounding margin ranked No. 4 in school history and was the best mark since NU’s school-record plus-8.6 margin in 1997-98.

The 2013-14 Huskers produced their best boardwork of the year by outrebounding No. 23 Iowa, 58-27 (+31) in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Jordan Hooper and Emily Cady led NU’s barrage on the boards throughout the season, as both ranked among the top four players in the Big Ten. Cady finished third with 9.2 rebounds per game while producing 17 double-digit rebound games. Hooper finished fourth in the conference with 9.1 boards per game, while finishing with 16 double-figure rebound games.

Cady led the Huskers with 9.8 rebounds in Big Ten play. Over her final four games of the season, including both of NU’s NCAA Tournament games and the Huskers’ Big Ten semifinal and championship game victories, Cady averaged 10.3 rebounds per game.

Hailie Sample added a third big rebounding presence for the Huskers in 2013-14. The 6-1 junior forward averaged 6.4 rebounds per game to rank 15th in the Big Ten, including 2.5 offensive boards per game to rank seventh in the conference. In the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments in 2014, Sample led the Huskers with 9.4 rebounds per game, including a Big Ten Tournament-best 10.0 boards per contest. Sample had a career-high 15 rebounds to help the Huskers to their plus-31 rebound margin against Iowa in the Big Ten title game.

Huskers Sign Top Recruiting Class in School History

A five-player signing class and a talented walk-on who received other NCAA Division I scholarship offers gave Nebraska the best recruiting class in school history - coming in at No. 9 in ESPN’s class rankings on Nov. 21.

Each of Nebraska’s scholarship recruits ranked among the top 25 nationally by ESPN at their position. Two-time Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year Jasmine Cincore, two-time Kansas Class 4A Player of the Year Kaylee Page, California prep stars Natalie Romeo and Darrien Washington, and Washington High School standout Chandler Smith will join Coach Connie Yori’s Huskers. Emily Wood, a walk-on from Salina, Kan., completed the six-player NU freshman class for 2014-15.

Smith, a 6-0 guard from Washington, signed her letter of intent Monday, Nov. 18, after being ranked as the No. 62 player in the nation by ESPN. Her addition propelled the Huskers up seven spots in ESPN’s class rankings for 2014. Page and Romeo headline the Husker class. The 6-2 Page was ranked No. 42 nationally by ESPN, while Romeo was No. 55. Romeo, a 5-7 point guard from the Bay Area, has been ranked as high as the No. 27 player overall nationally by Full Court Press.

Romeo’s club teammate, the 6-2 Washington, was ranked as the No. 16 post player in the nation by ESPN, while Cincore was ranked as ESPN’s No. 24 point guard in the 2014 class, despite being projected as a combo guard for the Huskers.

"We are excited about the potential of this recruiting class, and we hope all six players have outstanding senior seasons in high school this year," Yori said. "We have built quite a bit of momentum in recruiting the past few years and this class is part of it."

Nebraska’s previous top recruiting class, which came with current Husker juniors Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery, was ranked No. 24 nationally in November of 2010.

Nebraska’s six newcomers will be expected to replace the loss of Jordan Hooper, a two-time All-American who was the only senior on the Huskers’ 10-player roster in 2013-14.

Page, a 6-2 senior out of Wamego High School in Kansas, was ranked as the No. 13 wing/shooting guard nationally by ESPN. As a senior she averaged 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 blocks and 1.3 steals after averaging 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a junior. A gifted shooter, Page knocked down 57 three-pointers for the Red Raiders in 2012-13. She helped Wamego to the 2013 Kansas Class 4A state championship and a 2014 state runner-up finish while playing for her father, Jim Page, who was the Kansas Coach of the Year.

Romeo, ESPN’s No. 12 point guard nationally as a four-year starter at Carondelet High School in California. She averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 5.0 steals per game as a senior after averaging 21.4 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 steals per game as a junior. She helped the Cougars to the North Coast Section Division II title for the third consecutive season in 2013. Along the way, she earned East Bay Athletic League MVP and Nor Cal Prep Player-of-the-Year honors in 2012-13, helping Carondelet to a top 20 national ranking as a team. Romeo was a starter for one of the premier club programs in the nation, the Cal Stars Elite, since she was an eighth grader. As a member of the Cal Stars program, Romeo has earned all-tournament or MVP honors at 16 national tournaments.

Smith’s signing brought even more talent to the Husker 2014 class. Smith plays point guard for her high school and club teams, but was ranked as the No. 18 wing in the country by ESPN. The 6-0 guard from Brewster High School in Washington earned all-state honors for the second straight season in 2014. As a junior in 2013, Smith averaged 21.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 4.2 steals as a junior to lead the Bears to a Class 1A state championship. She had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the 2013 state title game, after producing 35 points and 12 boards in the 2012 Class 2B championship game.

Cincore brings more athleticism and strength to the perimeter for the Huskers. The 5-8 guard will add a gritty defensive presence along with an expanding offensive game to the NU backcourt. She earned Tennessee Division 2-AA Miss Basketball honors for the second straight year in 2014, after averaging 15.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals as a senior. As a junior at Briarcrest Christian in 2012-13, Cincore averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals per game while leading her team to the state semifinals.

Washington adds size and potential to the Nebraska inside game. The 6-2 Washington averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game as a senior at Skyline High School in the Bay Area. She continued to expand her game as a senior, after spending the summer before her senior year with Romeo on the Cal Stars Elite. She is relatively new to basketball, but brings excellent athleticism to the court.

Wood, a 5-5 guard from Salina Central High School, turned down scholarship offers from Harvard and Dartmouth and Western Illinois to walk-on at Nebraska. She is a three-time Kansas Class 5A all-state selection. Wood averaged 16 points per game and connected on a school-record 91 threes while hitting 42 percent of her long-range attempts as a senior. In her four-year career, she hit a school-record 223 threes. She finished her career with 1,103 points, including a school-record 401 as a senior at Salina Central.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home

Nebraska opened the Pinnacle Bank Arena era with a 16-2 home record in 2013-14, tying the school record for single-season home victories.

The Huskers played the first regular-season basketball game in the history of the arena against USA Today No. 25 UCLA (Nov. 8) and rolled to a 77-49 win over the Bruins. NU its first win over an AP Top 25 team with a 76-56 win over No. 24 Michigan State on Feb. 8. The Huskers added their first-ever win over an AP Top 10 team at the arena with a 94-74 victory over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.

NU won its first-ever Big Ten home game with a 66-65 thriller over Northwestern Jan. 2, and an 88-85 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. It marked the first overtime game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history.

NU suffered its first loss at the new arena to Washington State (76-72) on Nov. 30. The Huskers took their first home Big Ten loss with a 77-75 setback on a last-second shot against No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 19.

The Huskers ended the 2013-14 regular season with five consecutive home wins, starting with an 84-51 victory over Michigan on Jan. 29.

The Huskers have improved to 404-132 (.754) all-time at home. The Huskers have gone 140-36 (.795) over the last 11 seasons at home, posting double-figure home victory totals in each of the last 11 seasons, including 16-2 in 2013-14. NU went a perfect 16-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2009-10.

Nebraska played in the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, posting a 388-130 record, including 146-88 (.624) mark in conference play. NU went 13-4 at home in 2012-13.

Big Ten Network Provides Major Exposure for Huskers

For the third consecutive season, Nebraska had every regular-season and postseason game available in national television/video form for Husker fans to follow all the action.

In 2013-14, seven regular-season Nebraska women’s basketball games and two Husker games in the Big Ten Tournament were televised live nationally by the Big Ten Network, including each of NU’s first five Big Ten Conference contests.

In addition to their frequent appearances on the Big Ten Network in 2013-14, the Huskers became a staple on the ESPN family of networks late in the season. From Feb. 24 to March 24, Nebraska appeared a school-record five times on ESPN, beginning with a 94-74 victory over No. 8 Penn State that was televised live nationally by ESPN2.

The Big Red was back on ESPN2 for the regular-season finale at No. 19 Purdue on March 2, before the Huskers made their season debut on ESPN by winning the Big Ten Championship Game over Iowa on March 9 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Nebraska opened NCAA Tournament play with a 74-55 victory over Fresno State on ESPN2 on March 22, before closing the season in the NCAA second round against BYU in another ESPN2 nationally televised game on March 24.

In addition to Nebraska’s 14 games televised live nationally by ESPN (5) and BTN (9), the Huskers made their first national TV appearance of the year on the Pac-12 Network at Utah on Nov. 15. NU also appeared twice statewide on Nebraska Educational Television (NET), opening the season against UCLA (Nov. 8) before battling Michigan (Jan. 29).

The Huskers faced North Carolina in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on ESPN3, while a total of 14 games were streamed live to BTN.com (not including the two games televised by NET). A 15th game (Washington State) was streamed live for free on Huskers.com

Nebraska’s inaugural exhibition game at Pinnacle Bank Arena against Pittsburg State on Oct. 29 also was streamed live for free on Huskers.com.

For the first time in school history in 2011-12, all 33 games played by the Huskers were delivered by national television or live video streams to Husker fans. In 2012-13, Nebraska enjoyed its highest level of national TV exposure in school history, while adding two outstanding alternative video streaming sources. NU’s game with Duke was the 34th game of 2012-13 available world-wide to fans and the 16th nationally televised game. It was NU’s fourth game on ESPN2. The Huskers had 10 nationally televised games on the Big Ten Network, one on CBS and one on the Pac-12 Network.

The Big Ten Network distributed 10 other Nebraska women’s basketball games through live video streams on BTN.com, including two that were televised live in the state of Nebraska by NET. HuskersNside, the live video area on Huskers.com, took care of the rest of NU’s games in 2012-13.

Huskers Appear School-Record Five Times on ESPN in 2013-14

In addition to their frequent appearances on the Big Ten Network in 2013-14, the Huskers made a school-record five appearances on either ESPN or ESPN2.

All five of those live national TV appearances came between Feb. 24 and March 24, beginning with a 94-74 victory over No. 8 Penn State on ESPN2.

The Big Red was back on ESPN2 for the regular-season finale at No. 19 Purdue on March 2, before the Huskers made their season debut on ESPN by winning the Big Ten Championship Game over Iowa on March 9 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Nebraska opened NCAA Tournament play with a 74-55 victory over Fresno State on ESPN2 on March 22, before closing the season in the NCAA second round against BYU in another ESPN2 nationally televised game on March 24.

Since joining the Big Ten Conference three seasons ago, the Huskers have made 11 appearances on either ESPN or ESPN2, including nine appearances the past two seasons. Since their inaugural season in the league in 2011-12, the Huskers have made a total of 43 live national television appearances.

Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com Carries NU World-Wide

The Husker Sports Network completed its 20th season of producing and marketing the live broadcasts of Nebraska women’s basketball in 2013-14. Women’s basketball play-by-play announcer Matt Coatney and color commentator Jeff Griesch finished their 13th season together as the Huskers’ broadcast team.

The Husker Sports Network and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed up for well over a decade to take every game, home and away, around the world for free on Huskers.com.

In addition to carrying every women’s basketball game free on Huskers.com, the Husker Sports Network flagship stations B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln) and The Wolf 93.3 FM-KFFF (Omaha) provide strong FM signals for Husker women’s basketball and volleyball. 880-AM-KRVN (Lexington) also provides a huge AM signal statewide in central Nebraska, while more than 20 stations have joined the Husker Sports Network’s women’s basketball coverage across the state.

Game One Featured Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally

Game One presented by Ameritas at Pinnacle Bank Arena featured more than just a top-25 showdown between the Nebraska and UCLA women’s basketball teams on Nov. 8.

The special day-long celebration of the regular-season openers for both the Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams at their new downtown arena tipped off with an energy-filled pep rally featuring an all-star cast of speakers and entertainers.

The Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally on the morning of Nov. 8 on the new home court of the Huskers reached more than 4,500 middle-school youth from nearly 50 schools across Nebraska.

Students from Centennial to Crete, Norris to North Bend Central, Seward to Sandy Creek and Wahoo to Wilber-Clatonia joined students from several private schools in Lincoln for a morning of motivational messages and exciting basketball action. The sportsmanship pep rally, which was organized with assistance from the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, included messages from nationally recognized speakers.